Prasong threatens investigation into cancellation of Chirmsak programme
Published on February 17, 2008
Prasong Soonsiri, a leading member of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), which is now acting as the Senate, yesterday threatened to launch an investigation into a possible breach of the charter involving the cancellation of a popular radio show critical of the prime minister.
"The removal of Chirmsak Pinthong's programme from FM 105 [which questioned Samak Sundaravej's role in the October 6, 1976 massacre] was very suspicious," Prasong said.
"There was no reason to believe that Chirmsak did it voluntarily or that the airtime contractor [Fatima Co] did it without any political interference," he said.
The conduct of a PM's Office minister and the owner of Fatima could have violated Article 46 of the 2007 Constitution, which bars political office holders and enterprises from directly or indirectly obstructing mass-media freedom, he said.
Authorities should check the records of all phone calls from 10am to noon of last Tuesday, during which Chirmsak said the PM's Office minister or his aide had phoned Fatima regarding the content of his programme.
As for the NLA, it also has the right to investigate the matter as the removal could have violated the charter as far as mass-media freedom is concerned, he said.
Saengchai Apichartthana-pat, a senior executive of Fatima, declined to confirm or deny the report that he was asked by the government to kill Chirmsak's talk show.
Banyat Tassaniyavej, another NLA member and former president of the Thai Reporters' Association, said the press felt they were under coming under threat.
For instance, the government spokesman publicly announced there would be a new order on mass media shortly after taking office.
"Several branches of the mass media are not happy, as it isn't normal. This government is also planning to amend the constitution and press freedom is hardly mentioned," she said.
The government has also announced a plan to revamp state-owned Channel 11 to compete with Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TBPS), the new public TV station.
But that would be an uphill task because Channel 11's working style has long been very bureaucratic, she said.
Trirapat Serirangsan, the former PM's Office minister who helped turn TITV into TPBS, however welcomed the Samak government's move to modernise Channel 11.
"It would be great if society has one more TV channel that really caters to the interests of the masses. Competition will lead to more benefits for the audience," he said.
"However, people who work for public television need to understand that they're supposed to produce programmes that are really for public interest [and not for commercial or other interest groups]. They also need to be politically impartial," he said.
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Published on February 17, 2008
Prasong Soonsiri, a leading member of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), which is now acting as the Senate, yesterday threatened to launch an investigation into a possible breach of the charter involving the cancellation of a popular radio show critical of the prime minister.
"The removal of Chirmsak Pinthong's programme from FM 105 [which questioned Samak Sundaravej's role in the October 6, 1976 massacre] was very suspicious," Prasong said.
"There was no reason to believe that Chirmsak did it voluntarily or that the airtime contractor [Fatima Co] did it without any political interference," he said.
The conduct of a PM's Office minister and the owner of Fatima could have violated Article 46 of the 2007 Constitution, which bars political office holders and enterprises from directly or indirectly obstructing mass-media freedom, he said.
Authorities should check the records of all phone calls from 10am to noon of last Tuesday, during which Chirmsak said the PM's Office minister or his aide had phoned Fatima regarding the content of his programme.
As for the NLA, it also has the right to investigate the matter as the removal could have violated the charter as far as mass-media freedom is concerned, he said.
Saengchai Apichartthana-pat, a senior executive of Fatima, declined to confirm or deny the report that he was asked by the government to kill Chirmsak's talk show.
Banyat Tassaniyavej, another NLA member and former president of the Thai Reporters' Association, said the press felt they were under coming under threat.
For instance, the government spokesman publicly announced there would be a new order on mass media shortly after taking office.
"Several branches of the mass media are not happy, as it isn't normal. This government is also planning to amend the constitution and press freedom is hardly mentioned," she said.
The government has also announced a plan to revamp state-owned Channel 11 to compete with Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TBPS), the new public TV station.
But that would be an uphill task because Channel 11's working style has long been very bureaucratic, she said.
Trirapat Serirangsan, the former PM's Office minister who helped turn TITV into TPBS, however welcomed the Samak government's move to modernise Channel 11.
"It would be great if society has one more TV channel that really caters to the interests of the masses. Competition will lead to more benefits for the audience," he said.
"However, people who work for public television need to understand that they're supposed to produce programmes that are really for public interest [and not for commercial or other interest groups]. They also need to be politically impartial," he said.
The Nation
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Add this link to...
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Bury
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